Battle sight for an auxiliary projectile launcher

ABSTRACT

A PIVOTABLE AUXILIARY SIGHT ASSEMBLY HAVING A SERIES OF PRESELECTED RANGE APERTURES WITH THE SIGHT ASSEMBLY SECURED TO THE CARRYING HANDLE OF A PORTABLE FIREARM HAVING AUXILIARY PROJECTILE LAUNCHER MAY BE EXPEDITIOUSLY AND ACCURATELY AIMED UNDER BATTLE FIELD CONDITIONS. THE AUXILIARY SIGHT ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SIGHT ELEMENT THAT HAS   STABLE DETENTED STORAGE AND OPERATIONAL POSITIONS, EITHER POSITION PERMITTING UNOBSTRUCTED USE OF THE BASIC POINT FIRE SIGHT OF THE FIREARM.

March 9, 1971 J. K. JORCZAK 3,568,324

BATTLE SIGHT FOR AN AUXILIARY PROJECTILE LAUNCHER Filed Jan. 9, 1969 mPM u w 425 52 i 5 y ,AWVU/F/VEV United States Patent Ofiee 3,568,324BATTLE SIGHT FOR AN AUXILIARY PROJECTILE LAUNCHER John K. Jorczak,Springfield, Mass., assignor to Colts Inc., Hartford, Conn. Filed Jan.9, 1969, Ser. No. 789,994

Int. Cl. F41g 1/48 US. CI. 33-47 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apivotable auxiliary sight assembly having a series of preselected rangeapertures with the sight assembly secured to the carrying handle of aportable firearm having auxiliary projectile launcher may beexpeditiously and accurately aimed under battle field conditions. Theauxiliary sight assembly including a sight element that has stabledetented storage and operational positions, either position permittingunobstructed use of the basic point fire sight of the firearm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of invention This inventionrelates to sighting apparatus for portable firearms, and moreparticularly to short-range auxiliary battle sights designed for usewith auxiliary projectile launcher attachments for said portablefirearms.

(2) Description of the prior art The known prior art auxiliary sightingdevices for use with firearms equipped with auxiliary projectilelaunchers wherein battle field operations may require the instantalternate selective use of either the primary function of firing normalprojectiles (usually bullets), or the auxiliary function of launchingauxiliary projectiles (usually grenades), include complex auxiliarysight adjustment devices to compensate for the variation in trajectorydue to projectile drift.

Another problem with many prior art auxiliary sighting devices is thatthey restrict the instant use of the pointfire primary sighting systemof the firearm when instant alternate selective sighting and firing ofthe auxiliary launcher system is utilized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Prior are firearms utilize auxiliary launchersighting devices which include complex adjustments to compensate for theknown variable component of drift of the launched projectile over arange of trajectories. It has been found that the combat firing ofauxiliary projectiles is predominantly in the zero to 250 meter range;and further, it has been found that at these short ranges the driftcomponent of the launched projectile can be adequately compensated forby a visual line of sight adjustment on the part of the operator.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide asimple, reliable sight for use with an auxiliary launcher attachment toa firearm by providing a construction that is adapted for quick singlepoint attachment to the exterior slot of the carrying handle of thesight for use with an auxiliary launcher attachment to a tion of thebasic point sight associated with the primary operation of the firearm.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a sight for use withan auxiliary launcher attachment to a firearm wherein the sight bar isrotatably secured, by means of a detent assembly, to a plurality ofarcuate positions with relation to the base of the sight afiixed to theexterior of the carrying handle of the firearm proper.

3,568,324 Patented Mar. 9, 1971 Still another object of this inventionis to provide a sight for use with an auxiliary launcher attachment to afirearm wherein the sight mechanism includes a rotatable sight barhaving a graduated range scale that comprises a series of fixedapertures and an enlarged opening to permit the use of the primary pointfire sight device with the sight bar of the auxiliary sight mechanism inthe extended position.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a sight for use withan auxiliary launcher attachment to a firearm wherein the sight can beattached to the firearm without modification or replacement of any partof the basic firearm, while still permitting unrestricted use of thebasic point-fire sight system of the firearm under all geometricextensions and conditions of use of the auxiliary sight apparatus of theinstant invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above-mentioned features andobjects of this invention, and the specific nature of the inventionitself, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will clearly beapparent by reference to the description of the preferred embodiment, asshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a portion of a rifle showing thecarrying handle mounted launcher sight assembly of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of said sight assembly with the sight scale in theraised or operational position taken along the line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a side view with the sight scale in the folded position takenalong the line 3-3.

FIG. 4 is an end view along the line 44.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the detent assembly taken along the line5-5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a portionof a firearm 10 with a front sight (not shown) is shown having alauncher sight assembly 14 for use with a grenade launcher attachment(not shown), said sight comprising a pivotable sight scale or bar 16supported for rotation with respect to a mounting bracket 18 secured torifle carrying handle 20 by means of a thumb screw 22 projecting throughan existing telescope mounting hole in the carrying handle 20 andthreadably engaging mounting bracket 18 to fixedly clamp bracket 18 inthe exterior slot of handle 20. The exterior slot extends longitudinallyof the firearm and the mounting bracket 18 has a longitudinal axis whichis perpendicular to the transverse axis of the firearm. The mountingbracket 18 is clamped to the handle in such a manner that it lies withinthe exterior slot in abutting relationship with the handle '20. The slotserves as a rear sight and is adapted to be sight aligned with the frontsight for point-fire. The single attachment screw 22, for the bracket18, is advantageous since it permits rapid manual attachment of thebracket to the firearms handle 20 and release therefrom.

Referring to FIG. 2, the mounting bracket, shown generally at 18,comprises a straight portion 24 having integral vertically extendingbifurcated ends 26 and 2 8. A pivot roller 30 has a smaller diameterjournal end 32 and a large diameter journal end 34 rotatably sup portedin bores 36 and 38 in bifurcations 26 and 28 respectively. Snap ring 40engages a groove (not shown) in end 32 to limit axial motion of pivotroller 30 in one direction while a body portion 42 of roller 30 coacts'with the inboard face of bifurcation 26 to prevent axial motion in theopposite direction. Body portion 42 is smaller in cross section thanbore 38 to permit assembly therethrough. Sight bar 116 is fixed toroller body portion 42 by means of screw 44 (see FIG. 4) engaging athreaded transverse bore 46 in body portion 42, the screw 44facilirating removal of the sight bar 16 from the roller and replacementwith another sight bar. Journal end 34 has an integral finger gripportion 47 which extends outboard of bifurcation 28 to permitapplication of torque to rotate roller 30. Rotation of roller 30 througha given are carries fixedly secured sight scale 16 through the same arc.A detent pin 48 is axially slideably positioned in bore 50 in bodyportion 42, said pin being loaded against the inboard face ofbifurcation 26 by spring 52. Two local depressions 54 and a'seconddepression in the inboard face of bifurcation 26 coact with detent pin48 to provide stable sight scale positioning in the folded and raisedpositions respectively.

When sight scale 16 is folded against bracket 24, detent pin 48 does notcompletely seat in depression 54; thus permitting detent 48 to preloadthe scale tightly against bracket 24 to eliminate any possibility oflooseness or play between these parts. When scale 16 is so stored in thefolded position, the rifle line of sight along the basic point sightpath, including the top of the carrying handle and the front sight atthe end of the barrel, is not impaired in any way since the folded sightassembly is thin compared with the depth of the slot. Likewise withsight scale 16 extended to its upright operational position, the line ofsight of the basic point sighting system is not impaired since a windowor aperture 17 in the lower part of scale 16 provides an opening for thebasic line of sight. Above window 17 are a series of carefully spacedsight apertures 15, each bearing numerical indicia of the range totarget in steps of 50 meters up to a maximum range of 250 meters. Saidapertures are spaced according to known trajectory data for a givenprojectile and launch explosive charge. Basic changes in trajectorycharacter.- istics caused by changes in ballistic data can beaccommodated by replacingsight scale 16 in the field with a scale havingdifferent sight aperture spacing according to the revised trajectory.

The portable firearm described in the specific embodiment of theinvention and set out in the drawings and specification is but one formof firearm and is intended to be illustrative of the broad category offirearm upon which the instant invention may be utilized.

I claim:

1. In a firearm having a front sight, a carrying handle with alongitudinally extending exterior slot serving as a rear sight, and amounting hole extending through the handle to the slot, an auxiliarysight assembly for use with auxiliary projectile launching apparatusattached to the firearm, the sight assembly comprising:

a mounting bracket with vertically extending bifurcated ends having alongitudinal axis perpendicular to the transverse axis of the firearm,the bracket being positioned within the slot in abutting relationshipwith the handle;

means extending through the mounting hole to permit rapid manualattachment of the mounting bracket to the handle and rapid releasetherefrom;

a pivot roller pivotably supported between the bifurcated ends;

a sight bar having aperture means and a window below the aperture means,the sight bar being fixedly secured to the roller for pivoting movementtherewith between a folded and a raised position, the window beinglocated adjacent the roller such that sight alignment between the slotand the front sight is not impaired when the sight bar is in the raisedposition, the aperture means being for sight alignment with a referencepoint on the firearm when the sight bar is in the raised position, andthe sight bar and mounting bracket being sutficiently thin to permitsight alignment between the slot and the front sight when the sight baris in the folded position; and

means to resist pivoting of the roller to retain the sight bar in theselectedposition.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the pivot rollercomprises:

a small diameter journal end;

a large diameter journal end;

a finger grip portion integral with the large diameter journal end;

a body portion intermediate the journal ends, the sight bar beingsecured to the body portion; and wherein the bifurcated ends comprise:

respective bores having axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofthe mounting bracket, the journals being respectively pivotablysupported in the bores such that the finger grip portion extends onboardof the mounting bracket, the body portion having a transverse crosssection larger than the bore supporting the small diameter journal end'and smaller than the bore supporting the large diameter journal end; andwherein there is further provided:

means to limit the axial motion of the body portion in the direction ofthe bifurcated end which supports the large diameter journal portion.

3. The combination, as defined in claim 2, wherein the pivotingresisting means comprises:

a spring loaded detent pin slideably positioned within the body portion,and contacting the bifurcated ends which support the small diameterjournal, the bifurcated end which supports the small diameter journalhaving two depressions positioned thereupon such that the pin isreceived by one of the depressions in the folded position and by theother of the depressions in the raised position.

4. The combination, as defined in claim 3, wherein the body portioncomprises:

a transverse threaded bore; and wherein there is provided:

a screw extending through the sight bar into threaded engagement withthe bore to secure the sight bar to the roller, the screw facilitatingremoval of the sight bar and replacement with another sight bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 426,887 4/1890 West 421(S)888,858 5/1908 Sutherland 3355 2,775,166 12/1956 Janson 89-191 3,156,99211/1964 Beretta 421(F) 3,165,836 1/1965 Magardo 33-47 3,442,173 5/1969Muller 421(F) BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner C. T. JORDAN,Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 42-1 PO-ww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECERTIFICATE O CORRECTION Patent No. 3,568,324 Dated March 9, 1971Inventor(s) John K. J orczak It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 15, after "launcher" insert apparatus such that theauxiliary projectile launcher Column 1, line 48, delete "are" and insertin place the art .n I

Column 1, line 62 after "the" [third occurrence) inser' firearm withoutin any manner interfering with the function the basic point sightassociated. with the primary operation the firearm.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a Column l, line 63,deletesight for use with an auxi launcher attachment to a tion of thebasic point sight assoc with the primary operation of the firearm.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a Column 2 line 615,delete "smaller" and insert in place thereof small L Column 3, line 44,delete "firearm" and insert in place thereof firearms Signed and sealedthis 'Ihth day of March 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

